Soul Fire

Chapter 16 (1655)

"F-France..." Alex whispers, clinging to the elder girl, her eyes red from crying. "Penny is..."

France nodded into Alex's hair, shaking, replaying the moment in her mind. "We couldn't of done anything..."
Alex pulled away, she was so confused, so scared. Her sister, what had happened to Eva? Was this how they all were going to die? Panic began to build in her chest as she remembered the fire. Would she be missed? Would Eva be sorry now that she was a monster, a freak? New tears stung at Alex's eyes, her mouth dry from crying.

She wanted to go back to that moment in the fire, she wanted to stay there in the warmth. If this was what she got, she didn't want this life anymore. She wanted to go back to her boring classes, her uneventful and painful life. Anything was better than this. Facing death wasn't the part that terrified her, she and Eva had done that many times. But that was the difference, back then, she had someone who loved her, who cared about her. Now? Now she was truly alone.

She pushed France away, curling up in her ball. She wanted out. This was too much, she should have listened to Eva. It was a mistake to try and help people, it was a mistake to try to do anything with her life. Her parents were right. Her sister was right. Like always, Alex was wrong, nothing she could do was right, not even when she had others in mind...

She felt a tug at her hand, Alex refused to look up from her thought. France sighed, tears leaking from her own eyes.

"Kid." France muttered, shaking her gently. When Alex didn't respond, she sighed, looking around before summoning her mask, slipping it on her face.

"Alex." She sighed, her voice slightly muffled by the mask. She felt them getting closer, they needed to move.

Grunting, France hoisted Alex onto her back, panting as she began to run, dodging the minions as she fled into the streets.

Alex tugged at France's hair gently, letting her know she was paying attention. France nodded, stopping so she could put the girl down.

"Are we going to end up like that?" Alex's voice was void of emotion. France shook her head no.

"That was... Penny's time?" France replied, trying to sound comforting.

Alex swallowed, "Is it my time?"

France studied Alex, after everything the kid had been through, she seemed to move on, and France had admired that in her, but this seemed to of broken her. France grumbled something, remembering her first witch, her first loss of a team mate.

"Alex..." France started, licking her lips, if it was her, what she want to be told? That everything was going to be ok? That she's not really dead? That everyone dies?

The sound of feet running towards them shattered the moment between them. France looked up in fear, her hand out stretched to Alex. Ready to protect the injured girl at any time.

"France!" Amber screamed, sprinting towards the girls. "Please! Help!"

France and her apprentice ran to Amber helping her as she filled her lungs with the still air that had settled around them.

Before Amber could choke out anything, they spotted the problem. Stumbling towards the girls was a herd of town's people, their eyes blank. Alex's eyes widened, they weren't dead two, were they?

Alex swallowed, what was happening? Why to her? Why to her friends?

"There's the girl!" France yelped, jabbing her finger towards the white haired girl, who smiled and waved when she had been noticed. France narrowed her eyes, looking around. Amber and Alex were safe, but Rose was nowhere to be found, had that girl done anything to her? Anger coursed through her, Rose better be ok.